Celebrating Differences since 1969

To prevent and eliminate unlawful discrimination by ensuring people in Florida are treated fairly and given equal access to opportunities in employment, housing, and public accommodations

To promote mutual respect among groups through education and partnerships

To become the chief resource on human relations for the state of Florida

Investigate and mediate discrimination

Seek to ensure fair treatment and equal access to all Floridians

Promote mutual inter-group understanding and respect

Help people and communities resolve problems

Provide training and education on rights and responsibilities

Form partnerships with public and private entities in order to build inclusive communities

The Florida Civil Rights ActFlorida Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination in education, employment, housing, and public accommodations based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, familial status or marital status.

Title VII - Civil Rights Act of 1964 —prohibits employers with 15+ employees from discriminating against applicants and employees on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, religion

ADA - protects qualified individuals with a disability; Title III contains expansive definition of public accommodation

ADEA - protects employees aged 40+

Title II - guarantees access to and enjoyment of places of public accommodation

Title VIII – Federal Fair Housing Act —prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental, and financing of dwellings based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability

By: Cornelius Brownlee & Shelley Linton

Cultural Cultural CompetencyCompetency

• To increase awareness of participants’ own biases and experiences of difference.

• To promote mutual respect in a growing multicultural environment.

• To facilitate dialogue among co-workers on the issues of difference, cultural sensitivity, and communication.

The Commission’s Diversity Training Objectives

All noise machines on vibrate Respect one another at all times Use “I” and “Me” instead of “Us” and “We” Keep an open mind…remember the definitions OUCH! and EDUCATE No Politics! What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas (well here too)

We will reserve a spot for you in the Parking Lot Return from breaks on time please Please leave ALL titles at the door HAVE FUN!!!

Ground Rules

1. Awareness Building

2. Cultural Sensitivity

3. Cultural Communication

Training Modules

This Module Aims To:

◦Heighten participants’ knowledge of how personal experiences impact interaction with individuals from other groups

Awareness Building

Culture – A body of learned beliefs, traditions, principles and guides for behavior that are shared among members of a particular group

Bias – Prejudice Prejudice – An attitude, opinion, or feeling

formed without adequate prior knowledge, thought, or reason

Perception – a point of view Stereotype - A positive or negative set of

beliefs held by an individual about the characteristics of a certain group

Diversity Concepts

Cultural Awareness – recognizing and understanding the diversity of others

Inclusion – to welcome in or embrace as a part of a whole or as a group

Sensitivity – tactful and sympathetic in relation to the feelings of others

Tolerance – 1: recognition and respect of values, beliefs, and behaviors that differ from one’s own; 2: the act of putting up with something or somebody irritating or otherwise unpleasant

Respect - the act of giving a particular consideration or value

Diversity Concepts (cont’d)

A positive or negative set of beliefs held by an individual about the characteristics of a certain group

Unreliable, exaggerated generalizations about all members of a group that do not take individual differences into account

Denies complexity and diversity of that group

Stereotypes

Word of mouth: friends, family, others Television Movies News media Music Textbooks Toys Scientific research Mental Tape Recordings

Sources of Stereotypes

The Power of Perception!

How was your Date?

Iceberg Analogy

This Module Aims To:

◦ Encourage participants to consider another person’s point of view.

• Language

• Personal Experiences

• Culture: family traditions, customs, practices, etc.

• Cultural Greetings

• Social “Norms”

• Lack of Dialogue

• Fear

• Any Others???

Is there a difference between the public’s perception and your own?

What has created or perpetuated these perceptions?

What can change these perceptions?

Ask before you help. Don’t assume! Be sensitive about physical contact.

◦ Wheelchairs, canes, scooters are part of one’s personal space.

Think before you speak. ◦ Speak to the individual, not his companion, aide, or

interpreter. Respond graciously to requests

Tips on Interacting with Individuals with Disabilities

Put the person first.◦ Person with a disability, person with MS

Equipment enables individuals to get around. Wheelchairs are liberating, not confining.◦ Wheelchair user, not confined to a wheelchair or

wheelchair bound

Avoid negative, disempowering words like “victim” or “sufferer”. ◦ Person with AIDS, not AIDS victim

Terminology Tips

Not all disabilities are apparent. ◦ Someone may make a request or act in a manner

that seems strange. It may be disability-related. Developmental disabilities Learning disabilities Psychiatric disabilities Internal illnesses or disorders Side-effects from medication

Respect the person’s needs and requests whenever possible.◦ Even when disabilities are hidden, they are real.

Hidden Disabilities

This Module Aims To:

◦ Promote awareness of how misunderstandings can occur during cross-cultural communication;

◦ Place emphasis on the importance of clear verbal, non-verbal, and written communication; and

◦ Highlight relevant guidelines for avoiding offensive and insensitive communication mistakes.

"Everything sends a message.”– Stephen Young Small, subtle sometimes unspoken, often

unconscious messages we routinely send and receive that have a powerful impact on our interactions with others

Between 40 and 120 micro-messages sent in a routine 10 minute conversation between two people

Looks, gestures, inflections, nuance Micro messages may reveal how we feel towards

someone

“..those subtle actions that discount certain people and create an unjust work environment.” – Mary Rowe, 1973

“When these micro-messages take the form of micro-inequities, they can take various forms, some less obvious than others. They may include behaviors that communicate a lower level of expectation in performance or exclusion from company meetings or discussions” – Stephen Young

Devalue, discourage and ultimately impair workplace performance at all levels

Damage goals and undermine self-confidence; eventually see withdrawal from co-workers in office

Can spark creativity, leadership, and performance

Can motivate employees to excel and commit to company

Can reverse the effects of long-standing micro-inequities

When people are under stress, they are more apt to inject communication barriers into their conversation.

Barriers can exist in:◦ Verbal communication◦ Nonverbal communication ◦ Written communication

Internet

Email Netiquette Memos Punctuation Smilies

Letters/Flyers Is this what your company represents?

Text Messaging What kind of messages are you sending?

Flashing or rolling eyes Quick or slow movements Arms crossed, legs crossed Shrugging of shoulders Gestures made with exasperation Slouching, hunching over Doodling Staring at people or avoiding eye contact Excessive fidgeting with materials Yawning

Is your organization’s commitment to diversity reflected within the organization’s core values?

Is your organization’s diversity the unintended consequence of shifting demographics?

Does management reflect the values of your organization and the individuals who make it up?

Is your organization’s commitment to diversity reflected in its budget as well as its demographics?

Can you have an open dialogue about diversity issues in your workplace? If so, how? If not, why?

Do employees trust management and each other enough to communicate these issues?

Do employees advocate for each other and understand the value in advocacy?

What is the largest diversity concern in your workplace?

Understanding experiences of members of various cultural groups

Understanding barriers to communication across cultures

Applying knowledge to everyday practices is what builds cultural competence

Can be used to train and motivate employees, develop skills and leadership, and mark your organization as an employer of choice

Respect. Reliability. Retention.

“START”“STOP”

“CONTINUE”

National Multicultural Institute

2009 Apalachee ParkwaySuite 200, Oakland Building

Tallahassee, FL 32301

Phone : 850-488-7082Toll Free: 1-800-342-8170

Fax: 850-488-5291Web: http://fchr.state.fl.us